Ric Flair arrested over spousal support payment

A judge issued an arrest warrant for former professional wrestling champion Ric Flair for failing to pay spousal support to his estranged wife.

The Mecklenburg, N.C. judge held Flair in contempt for withholding $32,352.51 from Jacqueline Beems -- the same estranged wife who was charged and turned herself in Tuesday for harassing Flair's current girlfriend.

Flair, whose given name is Richard Fliehr, was ordered to pay Beems $4,000 per month after she filed for legal separation last year.

The wrestler can avoid jail time if he pays up -- which he said he fully intends to do as soon as Wednesday.

“The reason I didn’t pay my ex-wife the 32 grand is because my son died and I was in the hospital for a month,” Flair said. “I was in the hospital for a month with a blood clot. I didn’t go to work for three months.”

Reid Fliehr, 25, died on March 29 of a toxic combination of heroin and prescription drugs.

An attorney for Beems said she did not know where Flair is, and that the accusations that she threatened Flair's girlfriend Wendy Kidder -- in 50 texts and five voicemails, according to Flair -- are "unfounded and outlandish."

Beems was charged with a misdemeanor and released on $500 unsecured bond.

Beems and Flair have been married for three years, and just months after their wedding, Beems charged with misdemeanor assault after the couple got in a fight. Police dropped charges for lack of evidence.

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